Chaz Roe closer to return to Orioles (O'Brien on his no-hitter for Frederick)

Right-hander Chaz Roe is working his way back to a return to the Orioles bullpen. He's been on the disabled list since Aug. 10 with right shoulder tendinitis. He has resumed throwing and manager Buck Showalter said he could return around Sept. 1 or not long after when the rosters can be expanded to 40 players.

Roe is 2-2 with a 3.12 ERA in 28 games. But, after pitching to an ERA of 0.90 his first 15 Orioles appearances, his ERA is 6.14 over his last 13 games and 14 2/3 innings. He said in his last few outings he could sense he had an issue that would have to get taken care of.

"Yeah, I did," Roe said. "It affected my location and the spin on the ball, so it was best to give it some rest. I went to Richie (Bancells, athletic trainer) and let him know. It was a good idea to get it stronger and get back out there healthy. This time of the year everyone has some soreness. So I tried to power through it at first and keep pitching. It got to the point where it wasn't helping anyone out. It was just best to let them know."

Roe said he feels good now and today he threw for the second time.

"It's going well," he said. "I threw the other day and I threw again today off flat ground. Up to about 120 (feet) today. Ball is coming out clean. It feels great. Hopefully another day off tomorrow and get on the mound on Sunday. The training staff has me on a program to get the shoulder stronger and we're taking it day-by-day."

Showalter feels that Roe will need to pitch at least on a brief minor league rehab assignment before he gets activated.

"That is why I am thinking probably early September (before he is activated) in a perfect world," Showalter said. "But he's moving pretty quick and feels good. I will be surprised if this period doesn't really help him."

On the farm last night: Right-hander Mikey O'Brien threw the seventh no-hitter in Frederick Keys history as the club split a quasi-twinbill with the Lynchburg Hillcats at City Stadium. The seven-inning no-hitter was the first by a Keys pitcher since Nathan Moreau accomplished the feat on June 30, 2010 at Salem, and was the second by a Carolina League pitcher this season.

Behind O'Brien's masterpiece, Frederick took Game 2 2-0, after dropping the front-end of the doubleheader 2-1, which was the completion of a suspended game. That is why the nightcap was a seven-inning contest.

"I was definitely executing my pitches well and that gave me a confidence boost early on," O'Brien told the Keys radio network. "I was getting ahead a lot in the count and (catcher) Austin Wynns called a great game. I didn't shake him off once."

O'Brien, now 3-4 with an ERA of 1.76 for Frederick, struck out nine and walked only one. Needing just 90 pitches, O'Brien allowed only two baserunners to reach and retired 19 of the last 20 he faced.

Was he thinking about a no-hitter as the game went on?

"I tried not to think about it but it is definitely on your mind at times, especially when you are in the dugout," he said.

O'Brien was orginally drafted by the New York Yankees in the ninth round of the 2008 draft. The Orioles have acquired him twice in the last year. First they signed him over the winter as a minor league free agent. They then lost him to Tampa Bay in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. When the Rays released him in late May, the O's added O'Brien for the second time.

A winner of his last two starts, O'Brien has not allowed a run in his last 17 1/3 innings and has not allowed an earned run in his last 19 1/3 frames for Frederick.